Campaigns Deteriorate In 6th District 6th, 53rd District Races Previewed

October 30, 1992|by CHUCK AYERS, The Morning Call

What began as a contest of issues and ideology in the 6th Congressional District has become clouded with mudslinging, complaints to the Federal Election Commission about illegal campaign contributions, and the threat of lawsuits by one of the candidates.

Through most of the primary, Schuylkill County candidates -- Republican John Jones and Democrat Tim Holden -- were fairly focused on the issues. Both proposed health-care plans, both pushed jobs programs to revitalize a limping economy, and both had ideas on congressional reform to limit abuses of power and perks.

Both Jones and Holden put their plans in front of voters in Berks, Schuylkill and portions of Northumberland and Montgomery counties. Then the tone changed.

Holden says it's Jones' fault; Jones says it's Holden's.

Holden maintains the first speck of dirt flew when Jones attacked his proposal to create jobs by rebuilding Pennsylvania's infrastructure. Included in the proposal was a high-speed "bullet train" linking Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

"That's where it started," Holden said last week.

Jones said the idea is an embarrassment.

"He's embarrassed about it. He put out a position paper that I don't think he thought about before he put it out. There is no need for such a train. It is a big spending program that can't support itself. To me, it's a boondoggle," Jones said.

Holden fought back by calling Jones a "liar" for an advertisement Holden said portrayed Jones as receiving the endorsement of the law enforcement community while Holden had not. Holden, Schuylkill County sheriff, said the ads were misleading because the endorsement of Jones was from the state Fraternal Order of Police. At the meeting where the endorsement took place, local FOP representatives weren't there, Holden said.

"A guy from Erie County makes a motion and a guy from Washington County seconds. The guy from Reading wasn't even there," Holden said.

Holden immediately solicited local law enforcement groups to counteract the state endorsement. The Fraternal Order of Police in both Schuylkill and Berks counties endorsed Holden. Holden also received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association.

"I ran a commercial calling him a liar. The people who knew me best endorsed me," Holden said.

And matters got worse.

Jones caught wind that the ads were about to be aired and he wrote letters to local radio stations threatening lawsuits against the station managers if the ads ran.

Stunned radio station managers called their attorneys and some called Jones to give him a lesson in Federal Communications Commission law that requires equal air time for candidates.

"His was a typical lawyer response. He talks about tort reform and malpractice, then threatens to sue people," Holden said.

Jones subsequently apologized for his error.

Jones has also made repeated references to his agreement not to make Holden's personal life a campaign issue.

Most recently, he made the point during a debate. The non-discussion of Holden's personal life itself became a topic for discussion.

Holden said Jones made non-disclosure of his private life a dirtly little secret.

Fearing people would think his personal problems were far worse than they actually were, Holden said, he finally decided to talk about his pending divorce himself.

"He kept talking about my `personal problem' so I made my revelation that I'm going through a divorce and I have a girlfriend," Holden said.

Jones filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging irregularities in Holden's report and claiming that some of Holden's campaign signs did not contain the appropriate disclaimer about who paid for them.

Holden denied any wrongdoing, said any errors were corrected and claimed Jones had received contributions from 19 supporters in excess of the $1,000 maximum.

He also called Jones a "crybaby" and a "Little Lord Fauntleroy who is out of touch with the hard-working men and women" of the district.

In the primary, GOP state Rep. James Gallen made the same fund-raising accusation against Jones, but the FEC did not find a problem.

And Jones accuses Holden supporters of dirty tricks by damaging and stealing his signs in Berks County.

"I've lost hundreds of signs. They've been shot, they've been flattened, baseball bats have been taken to them," Jones said. "It's been a major issue for me. The number of signs I've lost is appalling," he said.

Both candidates blame the other for the low ebb of discourse.

"I blame the whole negative aspect of the campaign on him," Holden said.

Jones said it was Holden's fault.

"His negative radio commercials propelled this thing into a negative campaign for a couple of weeks. I had to answer it; I had to do something," said Jones.